We are unable to award financial aid to international or foreign students. International and foreign students should apply for alternative loan programs that may be available from private financial institutions, either in their home country or in the U.S.
If you attend the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, you must meet all the general requirements described in the Undergraduate and Graduate Student section below and must also be enrolled at least half-time in the degree-granting program of study. Students in a non-degree or certificate program are not eligible to receive federal financial aid.
Students must meet all eligibility requirements described here to be considered for any Title IV federal financial aid programs and need-based aid assistance from the University.
Have a High School Diploma or Equivalent
To be eligible for aid, students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent, or have a certificate indicating they have completed a home-study program recognized by their home state.
Be Enrolled in an Approved Degree
Students must be enrolled in an approved degree-seeking program to be eligible for any financial aid from the University. A list of programs and degrees is published in the Undergraduate Record and the Graduate Record. Students studying in an approved study abroad program or through one of the University's exchange programs are eligible for financial aid from the University. A list of approved study abroad and exchange programs is available from the Office of International Studies. The University does not offer financial aid for students in certificate programs.
Credit Hours
To get full financial aid as an undergraduate, you need to take at least 12 credit hours each semester. If you get permission from your dean to take less than that, your financial aid may be reduced, but you still need to take at least 6 credit hours to qualify for aid.
Graduate students need to register for at least 6 credit or non-topical/research/thesis hours each semester and be half-time to get federal financial aid.
The University generally won't give financial aid to students studying at another school, unless there's a valid agreement on file. Before planning to study elsewhere and expecting UVA to provide financial aid, students should talk to SFS.
Be a U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-Citizen
You must be a United States citizens or classified as an eligible non-citizen in order to get federal, state, and University financial aid. You must fit one of the following categories in order to be considered eligible non-citizens:
Citizen not born in United States
- Certificate of Citizenship (Must show student's name, certificate number, and the date the certificate was issued.)
- Certificate of Naturalization (Must show student's name, certificate number, Alien Registration Number, name of the court, and the date when naturalization occurred.)
- Certificate of Birth Abroad (Must show embossed seal "United States of America" and "State Department".)
- Unexpired U.S. Passport
Non-citizen National
- Unexpired U.S. Passport (Must be stamped "Non-citizen National")
Permanent Resident
- "Permanent Resident Card"(Form I-551), or the "Alien Registration Receipt Card"(Form I-151)
- Foreign Passport (Must be stamped "processed for I-551" with expiration date.)
- I-94 (Must be stamped "Processed for I-551 with expiration date, or Temporary Form I-551," with appropriate information filled in.)
Have a Valid Social Security Number
You must have a valid Social Security number to receive financial aid. Exceptions to this rule are students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.
Not in Default on a Loan or Owe a Refund on a Grant
To be eligible for financial assistance, you must not be in default on a Federal Nursing Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Supplemental Loan for Students, Institutional Loan, or Federal Direct Loan, nor owe any refund on a Federal Pell Grant or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
Demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress
You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, according to the standards and practices of the University. If you don't maintain satisfactory progress, you may not receive federal Title IV assistance or state and University need-based grants and scholarships.
UVA offers need-based institutional aid to degree-seeking in-state undergraduate students with DACA status who have demonstrated financial need. To apply for institutional aid, please review the application document and complete all the necessary steps. The Multicultural Student Services website has more information and resources for DACA students. Applicants should understand that eligibility for institutional aid is only available to degree-seeking in-state undergraduate students with demonstrated need. Federal forms of financial aid remain unavailable to any student with DACA status.
For more information about possible funding for DACA and undocumented students, please see this additional resource.
On June 16, 2020, the University announced that all students, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, are now eligible for admission and enrollment at UVA. Federal law currently prohibits undocumented students from receiving financial aid to attend UVA, but the University will be working with a number of organizations in the coming months in the hopes of resolving some of these issues. See this article for more information about the announcement.